你的KTV必點歌是什麼?

星期六下午邊聽我的iPOD nano 邊大掃除
在清完廚房及吸完客廳地板後
愜意的躺在沙發上, 隨著iPOD 裡粱靜茹的精選集的歌唱了起來
沒有人在家...所以我也唱的大聲
一輪的粱靜茹在忙碌的掃除及悠閒的沙發上很快就聽完了
正在唱歌興頭上的我
馬上又選了彭佳慧的歌
我喜歡彭佳慧的聲音 雖然她的歌我並不是大部分都喜歡
但是她的一首歌卻是我從大三或大四以來的KTV必點歌
即使在這幾年手指頭數的出來的KTV次數
彭佳慧的"聽說愛情回來過" 是我的KTV 必點歌 (原唱是林憶蓮)
我想以後也會是吧

其實我這首歌唱的並不好...因為我的音域窄
可是 不知為什麼
總是對歌詞裡那種 "遺憾"的 bittersweet 所感動
或許也是彭佳慧的那種淡淡哀愁的詮釋方式吧

在找MV的過程...發現原來蔡依琳也有翻唱
真是不予置評呀
還是喜歡彭佳慧和林憶蓮版本
不過我比較喜歡彭佳慧的

www.im.tv/vlog/Personal/858876/4140927

歌詞如下:

在朋友那兒聽說　痴心的你曾回來過
想請他替我向你問候　只為了怕見了說不出口
你對以往的感觸還多不多　曾讓我心碎的你　我依然深愛著

在朋友那兒聽說　痴心的你曾找過我
我要他幫我對你隱瞞　只是怕見了面會更難過
我對以往的感觸還那麼多　曾給我幸福的你　我依然深深愛著

有一種想見不敢見的傷痛
有一種愛還埋藏在我心中　我只能把你放在我的心中
這一種想見不敢見的傷痛
讓我對你的思念越來越濃　我卻只能把你　把你放在我心中

對你的聲音　你的影　你的手　我發誓說我沒有忘記過
而關於你選擇了現在的他　我只能說我有些難過　我也真心真意的等過


*********************那你的KTV必點歌是什麼?***************************

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Ok, guess what song I've had in my head the last few days? It may sound a little cheesy, but I couldn't help it. I'll give you a hint -- it started when all my bags were packed two days ago. Another big hint, I'm leaving on a plane tomorrow, and yes, it is a jet plane.

As I said, I couldn't help it, my bags have been sitting there at the end of the bed staring at me for two days. I should say, though, that 'leaving on a jet plane' isn't technically all that appropriate for my situation. It's about separation, but in my case I'm flying toward the opposite of that. I haven't seen my wife in 6 weeks, and with friends and family members it's been about 9 1/2 months. I think it's needless to say that I have been looking forward to this point for quite some time. It will certainly be good to have a 'normal' lifestyle again with my own apartment where I'm able to see my wife on a day-to-day basis. Ahh, such fond memories of those days. As I'm writing this, YT was just on-line chatting with me about favorite food she's bought and special dishes she is going to make, where she wants to go out for dinner when I get back, and the plans she's making for my return. I really can't wait to be home.

Still, the song seems somewhat poignant. Maybe it's just the melody, or maybe because I already am separated, perhaps. Either way, when you've been gone so long, it's never just a simple matter of an eager return. Over the past few weeks, as the list of 'last-experiences' started piling up, my eagerness has been tempered somewhat by the realization of things I've appreciated and will miss. I started to mull over a list... the kids screaming 'Brian Yizhang!' (uncle Brian) when I come home, formal(ish) dinners out with the family, eating fish everyday, the NPR podcasts on my hour-long commute home, meeting and interviewing all different kinds of people, and so on. It always felt incomplete and superficial, though, and never fully captured the strange level of sadness (in my jubilance) I feel about going home. Today, I think I finally understand what I will miss the most, and that is, language learning and the growth in relationships that provides. Allow me to explain.

I've always felt that the learning curve of studying a language abroad is steep and easy to perceive. It's almost addicting. At first you feel like a child, but you gradually adapt and change, and months later you're able to express your ideas as, well, a junior high school student at least. The point is, you can see with a moment's reflection just how far you've come, and how what had been interesting and exotic is now secondhand. I love that feeling and sense of 'growth'. When I first came here, although I had proficiency in Chinese and was able to communicate for my purposes, it was difficult to follow natural rates of conversation when the speaker was not directly addressing me. Now, that's not such of a problem. This has made a great difference in the degree to which I can participate more fully in the culture, in my surroundings, and more particulary, within YT's family.

For example, the other night, YT's parents took me out to dinner. It was Thursday night, so they didn't have to pick up the grandkids from school before their mom came to get them. Since it was one of my last evenings, they decided to take me to a very nice Japanese restaurant rather than just stay at home. To be honest, I had felt a bit of trepidation about it at first. It is seldom just the three of us, and I wasn't sure how it would go. I had a wonderful time with them, though. We talked about US politics, raising bi-racial kids, dad's experiences at work under a new administration, their plans to stay with us in the US for a month or so (at some future point), and of course their daughter (my wife). They also said they're glad that YT gets along so well with my family, and that they don't really worry about her when I'm there with her. It was nice to hear that.

Essentially, my point is that it felt great to be able to communicate with them more naturally, and to feel so comfortable doing so. It seems that, over the last few weeks at least, I've been able to appreciate things here much more fully. I feel that with greater proficiency I can be more of a participant in the family, rather than, to put it coldly, a foreign exchange student of sorts. The ironic thing is that, just as this is happening, it's time for me to leave. Last night my 5 year old nephew was crying because he didn't want me to go back to the US (he's rather sentimental). When he hugged me goodbye, I really didn't know what to say. I know that I will really miss being an uncle, and having the opportunity to watch the kids change even more than they have over this last 9 1/2 months. I will also miss being a brother- and son-in-law as well, and I wish I had more opportunity to communicate even more proficiently with them all. Perhaps that will come with more time and advanced learning. Right now, of course, and more importantly, it will feel wonderful to be a full-time husband again (among other roles). I think that pretty much sums things up.

I have one last dinner out with the family tonight, and this time that includes YT's aunts and cousins and the cousin and his family who I rode with to school every morning. With that, the last day of my lengthy stay in Taiwan will draw to a close. Tomorrow at early morn, I'll be on my way : )

See you all, or at least some of you, soon.
BB

P.S. I love you

這部電影上映的時候
我其實一點興趣都沒有
雖然稍稍有被電影的簡介給感動了一下
但是心想....不過又是一片有點感人的愛情電影罷了
回到美國後 想說趁布先生還沒回美前
租些他應該不會想看的DVD來看
P.S. I love you 就是我的首選了

故事的內容是這樣的
Holly (Hillary Swank)與Gerry一見鍾情(Gerard Butler)，熱戀後在短時間內結為夫妻，沈浸在幸福的婚姻中，再邁入第九年的婚姻時, Gerry重病而過世了，相當了解Holly的Gerry在過世前留下的十封書信，這些書信在他死後之後每隔一段時間, 會以不同方式送到Holly的手中, Gerry希望幫助Holly忘掉傷痛走出自己的人生，他在每封信的結尾都寫下了”P.S. I love you"....

in case you want to see 我不想透露太多細節...
乍聽之下覺得很詭異吧...
不過這部片卻是出乎我意料的好看
這些信 帶領著Holly 回顧他們的感情
去找回當初Gerry fell in love 的那個 Holly

我不是哪種非常感性的人
卻也是從頭到尾哭到不能自己
好險是在家裡看的 所以自己一個人放肆的讓情緒釋出
Don't get me wrong 這不是一齣大悲劇
而是一部讓你的情緒在不斷在淚水與笑聲中交錯的電影

Gerard Butler把Gerry演的深情到不像話
我想很女生都會希望有一個這樣風趣, 深情又帶點不羈的老公吧
我深深覺得這應該也是在虛構世界裡才會發生吧
不過 失去自己摯愛的人到底有多痛呢?
我不知道 也不想知道

試著回想過去的戀情
那段會偶而懷念的卻已經永遠失去的戀情
當時我心裡有多痛?? 他的心裡又有多痛??
不過 這似乎不能相提並論
因為失去的是那段感情及友情
至少知道 他並沒有從這個世界上消失
至少知道 他也有著自己的幸福
可是...這有不同嗎??

或許
當在沒有選擇下而失去摯愛的人 才是最痛的吧
當自己抉擇放下或離開一段感情的時候 已經有了面對傷痛的勇氣及準備
所以 痛的程度不同吧??!!
我想是這樣吧??!!

Anyway
看戲的是傻子
大概就是在說我吧~~
我要在布先生回來後再租一次給他看
想知道男生對於這部片有什麼感覺

還有我已經被深情的Gerard Butler 給迷住了
再加上他濃濃的蘇格蘭腔
已經把我的George Clooney 比下去了
看樣子我可要來好好follow 一下 Gerard Butler 了

Why did the chicken cross the road? (為什麼雞要過馬路?)

我通常是很少會轉寄文章的
除非真的覺得是很 classic or clever 不傳太可惜
以下的文章就是其中之一....extremely hilarious!!
這是我一位美國的朋友轉寄給我的...不知道來源是哪裡
不過轉貼在這兒應該沒關係
如果你不是很了解美國這幾年的生態 (尤其是政治)
大概很難產生共鳴, 可以直接跳到比爾蓋茲(Bill Gates) 或前美國總統柯林頓(Bill Clinton) 那一段
我稍微註解了一下所提到的人(有的是我個人的看法)


Why did the chicken cross the road? (為什麼雞要過馬路?)


BARACK OBAMA: (歐巴馬, 本屆美國總統大選民主黨初選候選人, 非洲裔美國人)
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN: (麥肯, 本屆美國總統大選共和黨候選人, 老人)
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: (希拉蕊, 本屆美國總統大選民主黨初選候選人, 前第一夫人)
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......


DR. PHIL: (活耀於螢光幕前的心理醫生, 是那種很愛出風頭的醫生藝人)
The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must
first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes
after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is
help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT'
problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH: (歐普拉, 美國知名下午時段脫口秀主持人, 深得家庭主婦之心, 以感性節目及贈送現場觀眾家用好禮為名)
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he
wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn
from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to
give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and
not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH: (美國現任總統, 老爸也是前美國總統)
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to
know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is
either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL: (前美國國務卿鮑威爾)
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image
of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: (CNN帥哥記者一枚)
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been
allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY:(上一屆美國總統大選民主黨候選人, 含恨輸給布希)
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it!
It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's
intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE: (CNN的一個談話性節目主播,該節目以灑狗血方式主持)
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his
eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: (美國共和黨的一位知名大老, 我對他不甚了解)
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: (瑪莎生活大師, 教你如何成為一個多才多藝的家庭主婦, 幾年前因為內線交易坐牢)
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a
standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price
dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider
information.

DR SEUSS: (美國知名童書作家)
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the
chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: (海明威, 知名作家)
To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA: (某位阿公, 可能是你的阿公)
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told
us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: (芭芭拉華特, 美國第一個夜線新聞女主播)
Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the
chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it
experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its
life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: (亞里斯多德,知名希臘古哲學家)
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: (約翰藍儂, 披頭四成員)
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: (比爾蓋茲, 微軟總裁....大家應該對微軟產品心裡有數)
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but
will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check
book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new
platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .........
reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: (愛因斯坦...如果你不知道我也沒辦法了)
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the
chicken?

BILL CLINTON: (比爾柯林頓,前美國總統...就是跟當時白宮實習生露文斯基發生性醜聞的那個)
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of
chicken?

AL GORE: (高爾, 前美國副總統, 八年前競選總統以些微之差敗給布希. 若當時他當選, 美國現在應該不會那麼慘, 他選後致力於解決全球暖化議題, 以他為主軸的電影 "不願面對的真相"勇奪奧斯卡最佳紀錄片)
I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS: (肯德基炸雞的那個上校)
Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY: (錢尼, 美國現任副總統, 擁槍協會的超級支持者...)
Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON: (非洲裔美國人, 是牧師也是政治人物, 激進派之一, 對他了解不深)
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

In case you didn't notice

Ok, let me ask you a question. What do you think are the odds of there being another guy out there in the world who has the same first and last name I do. It's going to happen of course, but there couldn't be too many, my last name isn't all that common. But, what about if that guy is also married to a woman with a similar-sounding Asian first name as my wife? The odds get pretty steep then, right? Now consider this, what do you think the odds are of that couple also having a blog called "The Life and Times of Brian and [wife's name]"? Probably impossible, you might say. And I might have agreed, at least until YT directed my attention to this.

So, much apologies to Brian and Ching and the life and times to which their blog is devoted. We meant no copyright infringement. I guess we'll start working to come up with a new title. If you happen to be hit with a flash of inspiration or a general good idea, please let us know. Until then, we'll just call it "Our Life and Times", since I'm sure that's definitely not already been taken elsewhere. We'll of course assume you know whose life and times are, in fact, under discussion here (Hint: it's not Brian and Ching).

Alright, that's it for now. Till next time, BB

Back to Pittsburgh

沉寂好一陣子沒有寫我的部落格了
在準備開始update的時候 又突然很想把部落格搬家
我知道我陸陸續續已經搬過幾次了
可是沒辦法...我一直找不到我喜歡的介面

這次...我換到 PIXNET了 也希望是最後一次了
幸好PIXNET有軟體可以將之前無名的東西自動轉貼
所以其實還蠻省事的

anyway, 我在一月中論文口試順利通過後, 終於回台灣了
這條路等的相當漫長..我和布先生分離了近四個月的時間
我終於在1/17回到我親愛的老公及家人身邊
這三個月的日子裡, 雖然沒有在工作, 但也經歷了不少事 (我還在農曆過年後長水痘咧)
能和家人這樣長時間相處是金錢換不來的
然而我也深深體會到自己不適合當全職的家庭主婦
卸下這麼多年來研究所的壓力及忙碌
我頓時覺得自己生活沒有什麼目標...又沒有收入...
開始漸漸厭惡自己
唉~~我就是注定沒辦法當少奶奶

回來美國這幾個禮拜還是沒辦法完全專心
最近正緊鑼密鼓的在寫paper
希望能多發表幾篇文章

布先生再過三個星期就要回來了
我們的生活也終於要恢復正常
過去的這一年.....我們的生活裡有太大的變化
希望未來的一年...我們能慢慢譜出我們未來的藍圖